The Fabric of the Cosmos

A few days ago I stumbled upon booksfree.com, a website with a similar principal to Netflix or Blockbuster but for paperback books and/or audiobooks, and I can't begin to say how thrilled I am. My local library has a really poor selection of books to choose from and I'm awful about returning the books on times so the whole "keep as long as you want/need" thing really works for me. I just made my first two "rentals" - somewhat by accident; I didn't realize they'd immediately ship the first two books in your queue *headdesk* - and will see how it goes during my 30-day free trial.

I really hope it works out, though. It's somewhat expensive (for me, anyway; I'm broke) but it'd be worth it in the long run because I spend a small fortune every year on books. If I can cut back by using this service (or swapping books), I'll be pleased as punch. 


On a different note, I had my first DNF (did not finish) of the year and on a popular book to boot: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. Harkness. I don't even know for sure why I couldn't finish it and that confuses me. A lot.

At first glance this book seemed like it was right up my alley or at least an alley close to mine and it should have been smooth sailing. But it wasn't. In the first few pages of the book, I found myself struggling to get into it and questioning some of the writing choices. I also found myself annoyed that the author just plopped out the fact that the main character was a witch without any lead in. It was just "so-and-so is a witch with witch-like people around her". My response: "all right, good to know *walks away*".

Perhaps my expectations were too high for this or I experienced that disconnect I sometimes get when I don't have the actual book in my hand (I was reading it on my Kindle Fire) but as a rule, if I struggle with reading something for more than a few pages, I put it aside to read at a different time. I ended up adding it to the bottom of my booksfree queue. Maybe I'll be able to finish it another time.


Lastly: Whitechapel. My good graces this show has absolutely become my newest addiction. I watched Series 2 and 3 this weekend (all I can say is: Kent, my heart aches for you) and then went hunting for fic...and found there's barely any! It's such a shame too because not only is the show lovely but it's choking on its own fic potential. I mean: murder, mayhem, and sexual tension, how can this show stand itself?!

Ah, well. I'll keep holding on and hoping. Or try to find someone to fangirl with. ;) 

I don't know about anyone else but I'm completely addicted to Grimm. I'm loving all the characters and have pretty much devoured every bit of fic and fanart that's come from it so with some gentle prodding, I agreed to help a friend run a community for it: grimms_tale.

If you're interested in the show at all, please do join. It isn't really seeing much action right now and I'm dying to have episode discussions with somebody...

Over the last few days I've been trying to compile my already-done resource lists over at thedownbelow and figure out what other lists I should post in the meantime. Thus far I've covered:

1. Fan Fiction: Useful Resources & Organization 
2. Fan Fiction: Saving & Storing
3. Fan Fiction: Fanzines

I was thinking about compiling a list for resources for fan fiction writers or maybe even doing a few reviews for things I already have listed but I haven't decided yet. I'm also toying with the idea of doing resource lists for real life stuff - I have links to some excellent sites for household tips and tricks, coupons, and more but can't decide if that would be going overboard or not.

So basically I've hit the wall as far as exhaustion goes. I'm tired all the time and no matter how much (or how little) sleep I get, it never seems to be enough nor does it seem to be helping. Hell, just today, I woke up before nine already feeling exhausted and I had fallen asleep before midnight!

With my hibernation issue so influx and the fact that I literally have no time to, I've done barely any writing of any kind. Which is a serious problem. I'm supposed to be doing Nanowrimo this year but I haven't gotten further than writing my outline and summary, I've signed up for a big bang change and have my outline done and am worrying because I don't think I'll meet my word quota which means major rewriting later, I've got three or four stories that desperately need updates but I'm just too damn tired to a) write the next chapter or b) edit it for posting.

I feel like I'm on a vicious hamster wheel and the more I try to get off the more I fall on my face. I mean, honestly, I'm hardcore looking forward to Christmas(the count down has begun, buddy) just because it's the one time of the year that I know I can catch some sleep with absolutely no one making me feel guilty for it.

Anyway, I'm really trying to get my writing muse back, if not just so I don't go insane, and so decided I'm going to use my wordpress blog (which I don't use, really) and post fan fiction recs and m/m book reviews.

I'm going to be posting a slue of m/m book reviews for a while, I'm thinking, because I basically went crazy insane and spent way too much money on e-books. Seriously. I think I'm keeping a few m/m book authors in coffee cups right now.

On a different note on a similar thread, Dear Author (a wonderful review and discussion site) has an interesting thread going on about romance vs. erotica vs. romantica over on this Raising the Sexual Acts Stakes thread.

After reading through the original post, I was amazed at how wholeheartedly I agreed with what Joan/SarahF said. Also after reading a good portion of the comments, I was surprised to find just how much authors themselves are pressured by their own publishers to amp up the sexual tension and/or acts. I find that a little disheartening, especially when I've been secretly contemplating publishing a short male/male story in an anthology. I know the pressure won't be the same but if I ever chose to pursue that line, I really don't want my own publisher browbeating me into writing a "racier" sex scene.

I'm of the old school mindset. I want emotional satisfaction for my fiction characters as much as sexual. If my character has a one night stand, it'll inevitably turn into more, and if it doesn't, my character isn't going to be emotionally devastated by it because they knew what they were getting into: a ONE NIGHT stand.

I also believe in love, in romance, for my characters. It doesn't have to be a pretty pretty flowers romance with saccharine sweetness that makes all of us want to vomit but it does have to be a form of romance - whatever kind of romance works for the characters, right?

In this sexually charged, enlightened, and open(ish) world we live in, romance is really falling to the wayside. In fact, I can completely see the 51st Century made from Torchwood a la Jack Harkness. There's very little romance in todays world - which is very sad, to my mind, and depresses me since I'm a single woman who grew up watching my grandparents and parents absolutely live and breath for each other and would love the chance to have that for myself.

That being said, romance, erotica, and romantica, whether it's of the female/male, male/male, female/female or any triad thereof, is really my escape from reality. When I can pick up sweet male/male stories like Caught Running by Urband & Roux or Chrinite Feehan's Dark series, it's my way to relax and tell myself that romance isn't dead, it's just resting.

As a (hopeful) writer and reader, it disheartens me to hear that publishers are saying 'screw romance, give us sexsexsex'. Don't get me wrong, I want to be sexually satisfied but...I'd rather have someone warm to wake up to. If I can't have that then why can't I have a book next to my bed where the main character gets that?